Customer Reviews

The Complete Book of Running

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How well I remember when this book was published in 1977. I was a teenager and hardly anyone I knew jogged or ran for pleasure. In those days it was rare to see anyone on the street actually doing exercise. With this book, Jim Fixx revolutionized the world of exercise, and especially the sport of running. This book precipitated the running boom of the late 70's when every granny laced up her New Balance's or Saucony's and hit the streets. Jim Fixx was an overweight business executive who began running simply because he wanted to improve his tennis game. He loved running so much that he gave up tennis to concentrate on increasing his weekly running mileage.

Fixx writes extremely well and it's still hard to put this down. It's held up remarkably well in the intervening 25 years and the information is still current and just as riveting as it was back then. Fixx has special chapters on kids running, women, senior citizens, injuries and the Boston marathon. He spends considerable detail on expounding upon the magical "runner's high" which occurs on runs lasting more than 45 minutes. Based on considerable personal experience, I will say that the runner's high is freequently elusive, but you'll know when you get it.

Jim Fixx died of a heart attack in the late 1980's while running on a quiet Vermont road. Unfortunately, this became the butt of some late night jokes made by overweight comics thinking it was ironic that a running guru would die of a heart attack. But Jim Fixx has the last laugh: he helped usher in the running boom and cement this avocation in the lives of millions of people. This is an outstanding book, as interesting and readable as it was when it was first published all those years ago.

Decades after it's initial release, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF RUNNING has become a classic and remains what it was Fixx intended it to be: a great guide for beginners and a textural gathering place for multitudes of runners.

Some of the training tips have been overwhelmed by further study, and Fixx's recommendation to buy good running shoes has been slammed as the starting point for Nike's attempt to take over the universe, but the book is still inspirational to anyone looking for some kind of cultural backbone for what is, at it's core, the most individualist fitness activity.

I really enjoyed this book. I am relatively new to "jogging" (4 years, and as James refers to it, as running) and this book, even though dated, still give lots of wonderful information. This is a witty, fast read, and I felt it was very well organized. I am currently training for my 2nd 10K race this season, so I guess I'm hooked!

I felt this was a very good book. He covered all the topics I would hope to see in a running book including injury prevention, training, nutrition, racing... The book was an quick easy read.

Since I am new to running I learned alot. What I found particularly interesting was just how current this 25 year old book was. It doesn't seem that that much has changed even in equipment. The shoes are different, but his advice on shoes is relevant. As is his advice on most topics covered.

I am personally glad I own this book.

I started running way, way before the "running craze" hit. This was in the late 1950 and very early 1960. Let me tell you it was pretty lonely out there. Little was known, shoes were very primitive and attitudes were even more primitive. All that changed and one of the primary movers of that change was this book and books like it. You have no idea how nice it was to know there were others out there. I purchased my first copy when it was first published and am still reading it to this day. Yes, some of the data my be a bit dated but to tell you the truth, not all that much. I stil run and what was true then is still pretty much the truth now. Cannot recommend this book highly enough.

WOW, I had originally purchased this books eons ago, in the early 80's and I had been jogging already for since 1976 when I was a teenager. The information in this book inspired me more than anything else about jogging. I LOVED THIS BOOK! I had lost it somewhere through many moves and life changes in my life and I had also quit jogging due to an illness I went through. I'm 48 now, will be 49 in a few weeks and I still believe in my heart that I'm a runner, a jogger. I'm purchasing this book TODAY and can't wait to read it again! If there is any book that encourages you with running, believe me, it's this one. It's a MUST HAVE FOR ALL RUNNERS [JOGGERS]!

I was a junior in high school back in 1981 when I first read this book. It inspired me to run my first marathon, which I did in the spring of 1982 at age 17. What an experience that was. The dream of running in the Boston Marathon started because of what read in THIS book. Let's be truthful, it was mostly the possibility of seeing all those "college girls" cheering me on. What can I say, I was a teenager. I ran another marathon at 19. Then I stopped running for about 20+ years.

Well, you see, about 3 years ago, I was some 40 lbs over weight. Your typical "couch potato." Inspired by my wife and here results on a cleansing program, I started cleansing my own body of the junk. After dropping the 40 pounds, I started running in August 2006 after some 20+ years of little exercise. My goal was simple, run a marathon. Then it changed to run a marathon to qualify for Boston. Prior to California International Marathon in December 2008, I ran and completed three marathons, but didn't qualify for Boston. Then, after the San Diego Rock `n' Roll Marathon this past June, a friend suggested I slow it down, not go out too fast, go conservative. Besides, she said... you only need to run a 3:30 to qualify at age 45. With that said, the rest is history. I trained like never before, with that vision of running the Boston in my head and getting up to nearly 45 miles on some weeks. On race day I felt awesome. I actually broke away from the pace group at 20 miles, didn't hit the wall and cruised in with a time of 3:27:16. A personal best. The last time I ran that fast for a marathon was when I was 19 years old and then I just barely hit under 3:30.

I plan of running in the Boston Marathon in 2010 at age 45 and taking my whole family with me. That's what this book means to me, it inspired me to make a life long dream a reality.

I grew up in the 'boom' time of running: I was a teenager coming into running during the late 70's and early eighties. I still remember a wonderful article in Runner's World magazine on Jim Fixx. I am still saddened by his death. He was the 'every man' of running: un-pretentious and soulful. His prose is precint, witty, and full of life. I recommend the book not only for its knowlege base, but for the sheer 'readability'! And yes...those are actually his legs on both of his book covers! We all miss you, Jim.
-Will Soyars

About a year ago I was struggling quitting smoking and one day my brother told me to come for 1/2 marathon training run with him. Ever since then, I started running and hoping to run walk a half marathon. Slowly I was becoming better and I was on my way to fininshing 13.1 miles by run walking. It was wasn't until I stumbled across this book at some yard sale that I gained the knowledge necessary to be able to increase my running ability. After reading Fixx's book I developed a love for the sport. I no longer run walk, and for the first time in my life I can say that I am a runner who is well on my way to complete a marathon. This book will go into detail of how you will not just become any runner, but a runner who enjoys all the benefits of running. I always remember what Fixx says in his book, "running never takes more than it gives back." I can truly attest to this. I have quit smoking and follow Fixx's advice as much as possible. My life has completely changed and I feel like I owe a great deal of this change to Fixx. While it's not the latest book on running, 99% of what he says is still very relevant today and perhaps even more relevant today because people have forgotten the simplicity of running. Fixx captures this aspect of running very very well. It is no wonder that this book is one of the greatest books on the subject ever written because it analyzes almost every conceivable aspect of running from teaching your kids to run to proper diet. The only thing that really sticks out in my mind that Fixx either overlooked or did not have knowledge of at the time it was written was his understanding of complex and simple carbohydrates. It's kind of interesting how he suggests runners to eat cake, etc. Other than that, I really didn't see much else that was really innacurate. In my opinion, this is a must read for any runner, especially beginning runners.

This book was special to me since I learned how to run by reading it in 1977! I'm still running and use Jim Fixx's story whenever I can. Had a copy but let someone use it and never got it back. Book arrived in pristine condition within a week. Very satisfied with this purchase.